Here's a great quick and easy weeknight dinner that even if you or your family isn't a fan of mushrooms, you might be surprised. This Mushroom and Kale Pasta is so tasty and pairs well with a simple side salad.
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This is one of those dishes where my 6-year-old will yell from upstairs, “Mommy, what are you making?!? It smells sooooo good down there!” That girl loves to eat good food, and I love to make it, which makes us a perfect match. This recipe is also the only time I’ve ever seen my 8-year-old actually eat mushrooms and somewhat enjoy them.
See, even though I know she “doesn’t like” mushrooms, I make them anyway and just try to serve them different ways in different dishes. And once in a blue moon, all that hard work pays off when they eat (and enjoy) something new – score!
Weeknight Mushroom and Kale Pasta
Here's a great quick and easy weeknight dinner that even if you or your family isn't a fan of mushrooms, you might be surprised. This Mushroom and Kale Pasta is so tasty and pairs well with a simple side salad.
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Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-wheat pasta (boiled and drained according to pasta directions)
- 1 ounce mushrooms (dried)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 shallots (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups kale (with big stems removed and cut into strips)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pepper (to taste)
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
Instructions
- In a small pot, add the dried mushrooms and cover with water (minimum of 1 ½ cups). Bring to a boil and cook until the mushrooms have softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain while reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Dice the cooked mushrooms (I do this by using culinary scissors).
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and turn up the heat so the mixture comes to a boil. Cook until the wine almost completely boils off, about 3 to 4 minutes (if you are doubling this recipe, it will take longer).
- Pour in the 1 cup of the reserved mushroom cooking liquid and cook until reduced by half.
- Turn the heat back down to medium and add the heavy cream, kale, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 more minutes. Fold in the noodles, garnish with Parmesan, and serve.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Weeknight Mushroom and Kale Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 492
Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Cholesterol 84mg28%
Sodium 361mg16%
Potassium 425mg12%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 4250IU85%
Vitamin C 42.2mg51%
Calcium 206mg21%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Wondering if i could use 2% milk instead of heavy cream? I know it wont be quite as creamy.. but i’m hoping to make this tomorrow with what I already have on hand. I also have dry milk.. maybe milk that in to the 2% to make it more creamy? Any thoughts?
Hi there, Courtney. How did it turn out? ~Amy
I have made this twice in that past week and everyone LOVES it. In fact, upon hearing what I made for dinner, my mother (yes, that’s right) said “Oh Gross!” Once she started eating it, there was none left. I made it for our special valentine’s day, used portebello mushrooms in stead and added one tenderloin steak cut into bite size pieces…Devoured it with 2 and 3 additional servings. My daughter even asked for it in her lunch today. Definitely a KEEPER!!!
I made this for my meat-loving hubby, and it was amazing! I used dried oyster mushrooms and whole wheat gnocchi, and it was fantastic!! Yum!!!
This was SO GOOD! My fiance and I loved it, and we both went back for seconds. Made quite a few substitutions: fresh baby portabellas for the dried mushrooms, full-fat Greek yogurt for the heavy cream, chicken stock for the mushroom liquid and white wine, and spinach for the kale. Even with all the changes, it was very yummy! The sauce didn’t thicken up as much as I thought it would, but that doesn’t stop me from giving this recipe a 5-star rating!
Thank you for this blog and all you do, Lisa. I’ve been trying to switch to a more real food/organic diet for about 5 years now (ever since I left for college), but I always ended up going for convenience. After reading this blog (I went back and read your first two 100 day challenges), you’ve inspired me to clean out my pantry and really take this seriously. My fiance is 100% supportive of the changes, and I’m excited that we will now be able to live healthier lives! Again, I can’t thank you enough.
This was delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe. I did have a little bit of trouble getting the sauce to thicken at the very end. Did any one else have that issue?
Made this tonight with Swiss chard instead of kale and it was a huge hit! The hubby had seconds and our 2 year old loved it (and he is in full picky picky mode lately). Thank you for another great dinner :)
Thanks for being so fantastic! Your mindset is so in tune with my own and it is so great to hear new ideas and recipes from you that enrich what I have been doing with my own family. It is both reaffirming and rejuvenating! I just made your crock pot chicken and it was the perfect thing on this freezing night. Excited to have chicken soup for the kiddos to send on another cold day! Thank you so much!
Made this tonight for my family. Husband and 12 yr old son. Both raved over it. Hubby usually wines if there’s “no meat” and 12 yr old hates anything green.
This was delicious! I will probably use the same pot I cooked the pasta in to make the sauce to reduce the number of pans for cleanup.
This was amazing! All three of my kids devoured it! Thanks for helping me turn things around over here :) Feeling encouraged!
This is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had! I used fresh portobellos and since I did not have the mushroom liquid I used 1 cup of chicken broth. The dish turned out fantastic!!! Next time I will also add in more kale. Thank you for the recipe!!
I do not cook with wine can I use beef broth instead?
Hi Heather. Other readers have substituted broth. We have not. ~Amy
I made this last night, and my family LOVED it. I added chicken and substituted spinach for the kale (already had a container of spinach in my fridge) Thanks so much for sharing!
My family isn’t 100% vegan or 100% vegetarian, but we type our best to cut out most animal products in our normal meal plan. I noticed a few of the remarks that mentioned replacing the heavy cream with chicken broth, would vegetable broth work as well or would you recommend some else?
Hi Kayla. We’ve not made substitutions in this recipe. You are welcome to experiment. Broth, obviously, is going to be a much different texture from cream in this dish. ~Amy
Just had this tonight. Love it. Just discovered your blog, and really love the whole thing.
I made this last night and everyone enjoyed it, however we felt it was a little bland. I’m always looking for easy ways to get more greens but I will need to find a way to add more flavor next time- maybe a stronger cheese.
Made this for dinner last night and it was awesome! My boyfriend dislikes mushrooms and basically any meatless dish and he went back for seconds! Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe. #kale
OMG!!!I made this for dinner last night and it was an instant hit. That says a lot considering my kiddos do not eat mushrooms!!! I even brought leftovers for lunch today. Thank you Lisa and staff for all that you do!!! You guys are amazing!
Made this tonight and my kids (5 & 7) who claim they don’t like mushrooms, gobbled it up. Keep up the good work, Lisa, et al! You all are doing a wonderful job!!!
By request, I am making this for the second time tonight. I used fresh mushrooms and added chicken after the sauce was mixed with the pasta. It was wonderful and enough for 4 adults.
I sure enjoy the recipes but wish you could list the nutrition info.
We loved this!!! Added thinly sliced onion instead of shallots, fresh baby bellas and a little extra white wine. Thinking I’ll add some fresh flat parsley next time. Can’t wait!
I tried this recipe the other night and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing such wonderful, tasty, and healthy recipes! :)
This looks tasty. Glad to find some healthy(er) comfort food. Cheese makes everything better, right? I linked to your post at http://www.rawinthemiddle.com/link-love-8/
I am not a huge fan of mushrooms but don’t mind kale can I sub something else? Broccoli? Zucchini?
Hi Christine. We have not made changes to this recipe. You are welcome to try substituting and please share with us how it turns out. ~Amy
This recipe was great! I used fresh cremini mushrooms and mixed in free-range chicken. It was hit, even with my 3yo, 5yo and husband- who normally refuses veggies like mushrooms and kale! And we have plenty of leftovers which is a bonus.
I made this last night and we finished the leftovers today. My husband was blown away by it, as he has been with all of the recipes of yours I have tried! I think he is really coming on board with this real food shift I am trying to make in our home.
A few changes I made:
– used a package or fresh mini portabella mushrooms
– omitted the wine (I’m pregnant and overly cautious!)
– use spinach instead of kale
Made this for dinner tonight and it was spectacular! Thanks for everything that you do!
AMAZING!!! We were out of kale so we used Swiss chard, fresh mushrooms and chicken stock. Also, our sauce never thickened as much as we would like so we used a little arrowroot. Wish we would have made a double batch!!
Love your blog!! Can’t wait for the cookbook;)
made a variation of this tonight and it was amazing. I left out the cream and I added chicken stock, not sure what quantity of each ingredient i ended up using but it was so lovely.
thanks for sharing!
Can you recommend a the best type of white wine to use? I don’t usually keep that and do not have a lot of experience using it?
I was thinking of subbing chicken broth. Would that work?
We don’t drink wine, so I never have it in the house. Whenever a recipe calls for wine in a savory dish, I substitute chicken or beef broth. The taste will probably be a bit different, but will add the necessary moisture.
Hi Adrianne. Many people do sub with broths but any dry white wine will work, too. ~Amy
My son is allergic to dairy and can’t have cream. Do you think it’d be possible to sub coconut milk for the cream and butter and leave out the parmesan? Or possibly cashew milk (so it doesn’t get too much of a coconut taste)?
Hi Christina. We haven’t made those kind of substitutions but I think this recipe is pretty flexible. Please let us know how yours turns out. ~Amy
Followed the exact recipe. It was awesome. Totally didn’t think my 12 year old would eat it but she asked for a second helping. Next time, probably wouldn’t use the dried mushrooms as they were really expensive. Might also add more veggies.
I loved this recipe. But I altered it to the point where is is probably unrecognizable. But it was sooo good! I added sun dried tomatoes and used real portobello mushrooms and used spinach and chicken stock. Soooooooo Delicious.
I made this for dinner last night. It was so good. The flavor was amazing! I added some baked chicken to the recipe. A new favorite!
What is dried mushroom? On the spice aisle?
Hi Anne. It depends on the store. Sometimes you find them with bulk foods at Whole Foods type stores, sometimes with spices, and other times in places that make no sense. :) Asian stores usually have a wide variety. You can save yourself some time by just asking a store clerk. ~Amy
I made this recipe also and we loved it. I do have a question. It calls for cream which I used. If I am trying to watch my fat intake, and lose weight, can you still use whole milk and cream?
Hi Tina. A few readers suggested using Greek yogurt. We haven’t made these substitutions ourselves, however. ~Amy
I made this tonight with fresh mushrooms and at the end threw in steamed broccoli and spinach instead of kale. It was delicious, thanks for the great recipe Lisa!
I read your recipes, and they sound great. I would love to try them someday, but as of now I can’ do that because my husband, is not allowed to have any salt of any kind. No low salt, no sea salt , no light saly, no salt subtitle of any kind and he can no processed foods. I have not found any one who con come up with tasty meal that have no salt. I even have all of Mrs. Dash products, and it still does not work for me.
Delicious! And my husband asked for seconds even though he was skeptical when I first told him what I was planning for dinner. I love how the mushrooms provide a meaty texture in this meat-less dish. Planning to freeze my remaining fresh kale so I can make this or the florentine recipe in the future!
WOW!! Just made this meal. It was spectacular!!! I have been following your blog for a year now, and I love it when you post new recipes. The best part is that I almost ALWAYS have everything on hand. I substituted the dried with fresh mushrooms and the mushroom juice with home made chicken stock! fantastic!